The present invention relates generally to a manner by which to display packet-based data, such as a web-based display, at a mobile station operable in a radio communication system concurrent with operation of the mobile station pursuant to a voice, or other, call. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus, and an associated an associated method, by which automatically to access a portal web site, or other location, at which the packet-based data is stored and to retrieve the data for display at the mobile station upon initiation of the voice call between the mobile station and another communication station. Web data retrieved from the portal web site, or other location, is automatically displayed at the mobile station during call initiation with, or by, the other communication station.
A communication system is formed of, at a minimum, a sending station and a receiving station between which information is communicated. A communication channel is formed between the sending and receiving stations, and the information to be communicated by the sending station to the receiving station is communicated thereon. A wide variety of different types of communication systems have been developed and are regularly utilized to effectuate communication of information between the sending and receiving stations.
Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the development, and implementation, of new types of communication systems. Radio communication systems are exemplary of communication systems which have benefitted from advancements in communication technologies. New types of radio communication systems, as well as improvements to existing radio communication systems, have been made possible as a result of the advancements in communication technologies.
In a radio communication system, the communication channel formed between the sending and receiving stations is formed of a radio channel defined upon a radio link extending between the sending and the receiving stations. The radio link is defined, at least in part, by frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because a radio link is utilized to form the communication channel, the need to utilize wire line connections between the sending and receiving stations used in a conventional wire line communication system is obviated. A radio communication system inherently permits increased communication mobility in contrast to a conventional wire line communication system due to the formation of the radio channel upon a radio link. Also, as conventional wire lines are not required to interconnect the sending and receiving stations, the infrastructure costs which would otherwise be required to install a wire line communication system are significantly reduced in a radio communication system.
A cellular communication system is exemplary of a radio communication system which has been made possible due to advancements in communication technologies. A cellular communication system advantageously provides for radio communications with mobile stations which are positioned within a geographical encompassed by the network infrastructure of the communication system. When a mobile station is positioned within the geographical area encompassed by the communication system, telephonic communication is permitted through use of the mobile station.
A cellular communication system makes relatively efficient utilization of the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum allocated thereto and upon which the radio channels are defined. The relatively efficient utilization of the allocated, electromagnetic spectrum is provided by the positioning of a plurality of spaced-apart, fixed-site transceivers which form portions of the network infrastructure of the communication system. Through the use of the plurality of fixed-site transceivers, a mobile station is likely to be positioned in proximity to at least one of the transceivers. Only relatively low-power signals are needed to communicate information between the mobile station and a fixed-site transceiver with which the mobile station is in proximity. As only relatively low-power signals are required to be generated, the same frequency channels can be reused at different locations throughout the geographical area encompassed by the cellular communication system according to a cell reuse scheme.
Various standards have been promulgated relating to various types of cellular, as well as other, communication systems. And, various types of cellular, as well as other, communication systems have been constructed corresponding to such standards. Several of such standards, for instance, make use of digital communication techniques. Digital communication techniques are utilized for the effectuation of both circuit-switched communications as well as packet-based communications.
One exemplary standard which has been promulgated, and pursuant to which cellular communication systems have been constructed, is a standard referred to as the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications). Another standard is a USDC (United States Digital Cellular) communication system. The GSM and USDC communication systems utilize a TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) scheme. Another exemplary standard which has been promulgated, and pursuant to which various cellular communication systems have been constructed, utilizes a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) scheme.
Improvements to such systems have permitted the communication of packet-based data such as that utilized in communications by way of the Internet backbone. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) for GSM, EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) for TDMA, and 1XRTT for CDMA set forth system requirements for the communication of web-based communications with a mobile station. When a communication system, and the mobile stations operable therein, are capable of communicating by way of the Internet backbone, or other packet data network, packet-based data is displayable at a display device of the mobile station. Web pages, for instance, are displayable at the display screen of such mobile stations.
Such systems are relatively new, and the possibilities of improved communications permitted through the use of such systems have not yet been fully explored. Any manners by which additional communication techniques permitted through the implementation of such systems would advantageously facilitate improved communication services.
It is in light of this background information related to the effectuation of power control in a communication system that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.
The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides apparatus, and an associated method, by which to display packet-based data, such as a web-based display at a mobile station operable in a radio communication system concurrent with operation of the mobile station pursuant to a voice call.
Through operation of an embodiment of the present invention, a manner is provided by which automatically to access a portal web site, or other location, at which the packet-based data is stored. The data, once accessed, is retrieved, and then displayed at the mobile station upon initiation of the voice call between the mobile station and another communication station.
A data base is maintained of the portal web site, or sites, with the communication station with which a voice call is to be established. When the voice call is initiated with, or by, the other communication station, the data base is accessed to obtain an address associated with the portal web site. The portal web site is then accessed to retrieve data stored thereat. When provided to the mobile station, the data is displayed at a user display of the mobile station while the mobile station remains separately operable pursuant to the voice call.
Web data retrieved from the portal web site, or other location, is automatically displayed at the mobile station during call initiation with, or by, the other communication station. Due to the automatic access to, and retrieval therefrom, of data stored at a portal web site, display at the display device of the mobile station appears to a user of the mobile station to be xe2x80x98pushxe2x80x99 of web information from the other communication station. The display of the information appears automatically responsive to origination of a call at the mobile station to the other communication station or termination of a call generated at the other communication station at the mobile station.
When, for instance, the other communication station is a telephone station operated by a business entity, data associated with the business entity can be automatically displayed at the display device of the mobile station when a user of the mobile station places a call to the telephone station of the business entity. The information related to the business entity, in one implementation, is a logo associated with the business entity. In another implementation, other information is displayed, such as an announcement associated with the business entity including marketing information.
In one aspect of the present invention, a mobile station is operable automatically to generate a request for communication, by way of a radio link, upon a packet data communication network to obtain an address of a portal web site, or other location, associated with the other communication station. Once the identity of the address is obtained by the mobile station, the mobile station automatically accesses the portal web site and retrieves data therefrom. The data retrieved from the portal web site is displayed at the mobile station concurrent with communication by the mobile station with the other communication station. A circuit-switched communication session, for instance, can be carried out with the other communication station while the data retrieved from the portal web site is displayed at the mobile station, updated as appropriate.
In another aspect of the present invention, a data base is maintained in which identities of communication stations are indexed together with one or more addresses of portal web sites with which the communication stations are associated. The data base is maintained at a storage device connected to a packet data network, such as the Internet backbone. Contents of the data base are selectably accessible by other devices, such as a mobile station operable to communicate by way of the packet data network. Responsive to a request for an address associated with a communication station, the data base is accessed to retrieve the address associated with the communication station, and the address identity is returned to the requester, such as the mobile station.
In one implementation, a manner is provided by which a mobile station, separately operable pursuant both to communicate by way of a voice call and to communicate data with a portal web site, displays information retrieved from the portal web site. The information is retrieved and displayed automatically responsive to initiation of a voice call with another communication station. The identity of the other communication station is ascertained when a call is originated at the mobile station by detection of the dialing digits associated with the other communication station. When a call is terminated at the mobile station and originated by the other communication station, the dialing digits associated with the communication station are ascertained such as through performance of a caller ID service.
Once the dialing digits associated with the other communication station are determined, a request is generated for communication to a data base. The request is an inquiry to the data base to ascertain an address associated with the other communication station. The data base includes a listing of addresses associated with identitites of communication stations. For example, telephone numbers are indexed together with URL addresses. The address is ascertained and returned to the mobile station. And, the mobile station thereafter sends an inquiry addressed to the retrieved address. Data is thereafter downloaded to the mobile station for display at the mobile station. The voice call between the mobile station and the other communication station is separately effectuated, concurrent with display of the data at the mobile station.
In these and other aspects, therefore, apparatus, and an associated method, is provided for a communication system in which a mobile station is operable to communicate during a common time period with a first remote station and with a second remote station. The communication between the mobile station and the second remote station comprise packet data-based communication. Display at the mobile station of data generated at the second remote station is effectuated. An identifier detector is coupled to receive indications of identity indicia associated with the second remote station. The identifier detector detects the identity indicia associated with the first remote station upon initiation of communications between the first remote station and the mobile station. A request generator is coupled to the identifier detector. The request generator generates a request for a selected address indexed together with the identity indicia associated with the first remote station. The selected address identifies the second remote station. A request response detector is coupled to receive indications of a response returned to the mobile station responsive to generation of the request by the request generator. The request response detector detects values of the selected address indexed together with the identity indicia associated with the first remote station. A data retriever is coupled to the request response detector. The data retriever retrieves data from the second remote station for display at the mobile station.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and to the scope thereof can be obtained from the accompanying drawings which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims.